Kentucky hot brown is a traditional Louisiana dish made with turkey, bread, bacon, and cheese. To make hot brown, you must first cook a turkey breast. From there, make batter and use it coat your bread. You will assemble and then broil open-faced sandwiches. After the broiling process, you top your sandwiches with bacon and herbs. This makes for a delicious, traditional dish that can be great for a holiday or other special occasion.

Ingredients

Turkey

A 4 to 5 pound (about 1,800 grams) turkey breast

4 tablespoons unsalted soft butter

Salt and black pepper

Sauce

2 tablespoons (30 mL) unsalted butter

2 tablespoons (30 mL) all-purpose flour

2 1/2 cups (595 mL) whole milk

2 cups (475 mL) grated sharp white cheddar

1/4 (60 mL) cup grated parmesan

A pinch of nutmeg

Salt and ground black pepper

Egg Bread

4 large eggs

1/4 (60 mL) cup milk

Salt

8 thick slices of white bread

4 tablespoons (60 mL) butter

4 tablespoons (60 mL) vegetable oil

Assembly Ingredients

Three ripe tomatoes

1 1/2 cups (350 mL) grated sharp white cheddar

1/2 (120 mL) cup freshly grated parmesan

16 thick slices slab bacon, cooked until crisp

Finely chopped fresh chives

Finely chopped fresh parsley

Steps

Part 1

Cooking the Turkey

1

Rub the turkey with butter. Take your turkey breast out of the fridge and set it on a clean surface. Use your hands to rub the butter across the full surface of the turkey.[1]

Wash your hands before and after handling raw meat.

2

Add salt and pepper. Liberally sprinkle salt and pepper over the turkey. Make sure you cover all sides of the turkey.[2]

3

Roast for 15 minutes. Set your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit (218 degrees Celsius). Set a timer for 15 minutes and let the turkey roast for this time period.[3]

4

Reduce the oven's heat. After 15 minutes have passed, reduce the oven's heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (177 degrees Celsius). Then, cook your turkey for an additional 60 to 90 minutes. When the turkey is done, a thermometer inserted into the turkey should read about 155 degrees Fahrenheit (68 degrees Celsius).

5

Remove the turkey from the oven. After removing the turkey from the oven, place a piece of tinfoil over it like a tent. Allow it to sit in the tinfoil tent for about 10 minutes before slicing it.[4]

Leave the oven on. You will be using it later.

Part 2

Making the Sauce

1

Melt your butter in a sauce pan. Measure out your butter and place it in a sauce pan. Place the pan over medium heat to melt the butter.[5]

2

Whisk in the flour. Toss in your flour. Using either a wire whisk or a fork, whisk together the flower and butter until you have an even, consistent texture.[6]

3

Add the milk. Toss the milk into the flour and butter mixture. Again, using a fork or wire whisk, beat everything together to get a smooth, even mixture.[7]

4

Boil your mixture. Whisk the mixture constantly while leaving it over heat to bring it to a boil. This usually takes four to five minutes, but times may vary depending on the precise heat of your stove.[8]

5

Add the spices and cheese. Once the mixture is boiling, add the cheese and stir until it melts. From there, add the spices and stir everything together. Remove your sauce from the stove and set aside.[9]

Part 3

Making the Bread

1

Whisk together the egg, milk, and salt. In a small mixing bowl, place your eggs, milk, and salt. Use a wire whisk or fork to beat everything together until you have an even mixture.[10]

2

Dip the bread in the mixture and let sit. One by one, dip your bread slices in the egg and milk batter you made. Coat both sides of each slice of bread with the batter and then set it aside.[11]

Make sure each slice of bread sits for at least 30 seconds to soak up the batter.

3

Heat the butter and oil. Measure your butter and oil into a saucepan. Heat the butter and oil over medium heat until the butter is melted and the oil is shimmering.[12]

4

Cook the bread. Cook each slice of bread on both sides. Cook your bread until both sides are golden brown. When you're done cooking, set your bread slices on a baking sheet.[13]

Times will vary depending on the heat of your stove. Also, the number of bread slices you can cook at once depends on the size of your frying pan.

Part 4

Assembling Your Hot Brown

1

Arrange the bread on the baking sheet. Make sure your bread slices are spread out on the baking sheet. They should not be touching over overlapping.[14]

If your baking sheet is not big enough for all the bread slices, you should warm the bread in batches.

2

Add your turkey. Take your turkey out from under the tinfoil. Cut the turkey into about eight thick slices. Then, top each slice of bread with a piece of turkey.[15]

3

Add the remaining ingredients. After adding your turkey, top your bread slices with slices of tomatoes. Then, ladle the sauce over the bread. Lastly, evenly divide your parmesan and cheddar cheese between the eight bread slices.[16]

4

Broil the bread slices. Place the baking pan about six inches from the source of heat source in your oven. Allow the bread to broil for about three to four minutes. When done, the cheese should be bubbly and lightly browned.[17]

5

Top the bread slices with bacon and spices. Remove the bread from the oven. Top the bread with two slices of bacon. Then, sprinkle the chives and parsley over each slice.[18]